Tips and Tricks

Make your own WordPress theme at PixoPoint! I’m trying to get it to upload images from my own computer but no luck so far.

Sadness.

A few summers ago, between one semester and the next, I picked up No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days at the library. I remember a general sense of being amused and intrigued, but not enough to be really inspired. When I found out there was a website, I was even surprised.

Now as you know, I attempted to join this year’s NaNoWriMo challenge but dropped out after I decided to apply to graduate school. Tonight I sent off two portions of the text I wrote at that time to Shiver who was pretty amused by it. She said my writing had improved. When I was researching writing tips, I had gotten a few ideas on how to make my writing more accessible and less sucky and incorporated them. The basic idea there was: sentence variation.

I still haven’t picked back up on my book because [click to continue...]

Each month of the new year, I want to focus on a single topic. My main problem with getting things done on my own time is that I try to do too many things at once.

Projects to Focus on:
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I worked on my personal statement some more tonight. Following a tip I received, I used this website as a guideline on how to break down my reasons for wanting to go to grad school. After that exercise, I considered what the director had told me was needed for the personal statement: why this career and why this school. I then used these tools to write a three paragraph statement which I believe is much more professional in its approach than my first attempt.

The highlight of my day was eating the lasgana Shiver and I had made together. She did most of the cooking since she booted me out of the kitchen as she spiced it to her own tastes. Between the two of us and her roommate, we managed to eat two-thirds before we were full. Lasgana is pretty much the only food I can cook so I’m glad whenever I get an opportunity to make it.

I enjoy reading in bed more than any other place. The thing is that I have a bunk bed and therefore not much light is visible while reclining in bed. My bed is against the window and therefore I thought, “why don’t I get some sort of light to read by while reclining in bed?” Hence I paid out $1.50 at Walmart for these 20 mini Christmas lights and tacked them into the panel between my windows.

Next item on my agenda: a husband pillow.

I could have called my manager today to beg them to let me come in and work today. Instead I awoke with thoughts of laying in bed and reading all those shiny new library books I checked out yesterday. Instead I talked to Sarah about seeing Twilight at theaters this weekend, reading UNCG’s Graduate School Bulletion book, read a bit on life coaching, fleshed out more characters with Shiver, researched more articles on librarian science (which is a good thing! More knowledge = more power!), and rotated my closet finally (moved warm weather clothes to the back and winter clothes to the front). I even tortured my cat Chii by clipping the long hair off her backside. She’s got hair three inches long back there, believe me, she needs it. However, thank God for thick sleeves on my robe; otherwise I’d be nursing multiple bites.

So while browsing again I found 50 strategies for making yourself work. The list itself isn’t revolutionary, but it gives some helpful pointers in trying to remain on focus. I particularly like the one about candles since I recently decided I love lit candles in my room.

Overall though, I’m trying to make the best of my freetime till I go to grad school next year. I know that grad school is killer, but I’m banking on the hope that by the time I’m done, I’ll be able to find a non-retail job, the economy will be picking up, and I’ll be finally an adult. Sure, I’ve been paying bills for 4 years now, but I still feel like a kid. Being an adult to me is having my own place, cooking my own meals, and being full responsible for me. Right now I’m still in the bedroom I’ve slept in since I was 9 years old. It’s time to move on.

…a way to back-up my Gmail account.

A couple years ago I came across this book about writing a novel in 30 days. Little did I know at the time that there are thousands of people who participated in this challenge each November. For the last few years I’ve been too busy with school to participate. However, now I’m out of college and still have not found that non-retail job so I have some extra time on my hands. I’m going to do this.

Then tonight I found MindTweaks, a blog that had this inspiring article on how to prepare for NaNo. I’m batting around a couple ideas, but it’ll be a challenge either way. It’s a good thing I’ve already written 35+ short stories so far this year. Now to hammer out a novella-length piece? That is going to be a challenge.

I am ready!

1. Upload your image on FavIcon from Pics
2. Upload your new favicon to your server and remember the URL location
3. Download the Favicon Manager WordPress Plugin
4. Activate your plugin, go to settings > FavIcons and add in the URL of where your favicon is located at

If you look next to this blog’s url, you should see my new favicon. I choose a snippet of the pattern off Godaisies’s original background.